


An Admirable Man

by katling



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Cullen, Talk of lyrium addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 06:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2681900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian can take a hint, especially when his favourite Inquisitor is inexplicably upset about a certain Commander.</p><p>(Set after the decision point conversation with Cullen so mild spoilers.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Admirable Man

**Author's Note:**

> This assumes that all of Dorian's personal quests have been done and the romance is serious. Features my mage Trevelyan Inquisitor, Jeremy. Who quite accidentally - and that's serious because I didn't intend to make him look like this and didn't realise it until about 5 hours into the game - looks a bit like a red-haired Chris Pine.

Varric Tethras had never considered himself a meddler. He was a storyteller, an archer and a professional tagalong and he was happy to leave it at that. But when their noble Lord Inquisitor Jeremy Trevelyan stalked past him with a face like a storm cloud, he couldn’t let it lie. He watched to see were Jeremy went and then slipped through the door behind him. He nodded briefly to Solas and made his way up the stairs.

“Hey, Sparkler,” he said when he got to the top of the stairs.

Dorian raised an eyebrow. “Well, well. What brings you to my lair, Varric? Fancy hearing one of my tales of the Imperium? Suitably embellished, of course.”

“Now that’s a tempting thought,” Varric said, not without some interest, “but not why I’m here.”

“Do tell then.”

“You might want to pay our Inquisitor a visit in his room,” Varric said casually. “He looked a little… stormy. Wouldn’t want him calling down lightning on the next person to irritate him. Bad look that. And hard to make into something heroic in a story.”

Varric didn’t wait for Dorian’s reply. He’d done enough meddling. The rest was up to the Tevinter mage.

***************************

Dorian Pavus prided himself on the fact that he could take a hint with the best of them and Varric’s comment had been less of a hint and more of a wooden board round the side of his head. He couldn’t imagine what could have sparked off Jeremy’s temper. His lover had spoken that morning of going to see Cullen about some matter or other but he couldn’t imagine they’d disagreed that sharply. Jeremy got along well with the General. Cullen was surprisingly at ease around mages for a former Templar.

He wandered down to the kitchens and liberated the best bottle of wine he could find and a couple of goblets and then made his way to Jeremy’s rooms. When he got there, he could see what Varric had meant. Jeremy was standing out on the balcony, ostensibly taking in the view, but Dorian had enough experience with their Inquisitor now to see the lines of tension in his shoulders.

He paused long enough to pour the wine into the goblets and then sauntered out and offered one to Jeremy.

“Wine?” he said idly. “You look like you could use it.”

Jeremy stared at the goblet for a long moment then took it with a sigh. “Who sent you after me?”

“I’m wounded,” Dorian said, placing one hand over his heart and affecting a sorrowful expression. “Can I not simply offer my lover some wine without there being any ulterior motives?”

“Right now? No,” Jeremy said bluntly, though Dorian was pleased to see him actually take a sip of the wine. It was really very good and shouldn’t be wasted.

“Sadly, you see through me like a cheap pane of glass.” He paused and frowned. “A very _expensive_ pane of glass actually. I’ve never been cheap.” He was delighted to see the small smile that curved Jeremy’s lips at that point. “So, guilty as charged. It was Varric. He said you seemed… upset. Has our good Commander slipped back into his Templar roots?”

He was startled to see Jeremy actually flinch at that comment and his hand tighten around the goblet alarmingly. The Inquisitor’s face darkened and he turned away from Dorian to stare out over the admittedly stunning vista though Dorian doubted Jeremy was seeing one bit of it. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. Perhaps it might be best to wait it out for now.

“He was a Templar,” Jeremy said finally.

“Well, yes, we all know that.”

“With everything that entails.”

Dorian frowned at the dull tone of Jeremy’s voice. “I confess I’m not quite following.”

Jeremy turned his head just enough to look at him. “Lyrium addiction.”

Dorian’s frown cleared a little but he still didn’t quite see what the problem was. “That is how they gain their abilities. But you’re a mage. Surely you knew that already. I don’t see how Cullen’s lyrium addiction would be something to get cross about.”

“He’s not taking it anymore,” Jeremy said harshly. “He hasn’t since Cassandra recruited him.”

Dorian’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Now that was something he hadn’t expected. “That’s dangerous,” he said carefully, still unsure as to why Jeremy was so worked up about this. “But noble. I know he no longer considers himself a Templar. I suppose I never thought he’d actually go through the withdrawal.” He paused and ventured a question. “Is he alright?”

“He’s in pain but he’s coping.”

Jeremy fell silent and again Dorian decided to wait him out.

“He’s asked Cassandra to keep an eye on him, to judge whether he’s capable of leading the Inquisition’s forces,” Jeremy said.

“Very wise,” Dorian replied. “Cassandra would be a good judge of that and… I believe not inclined to be too hard on Cullen.”

Jeremy nodded and smiled slightly. “Yes, you’re right.”

He fell silent again and now Dorian sighed and stepped closer. He was surprised when Jeremy leaned into him. He was unused to having someone trust him enough to want to lean on him for both literal and metaphorical support. But then, Jeremy had proven time and time again that he was not Tevinter and did not think like them. Their relationship in his eyes was not something to be hidden behind the curtains and never referred to.

After a couple of minutes, Jeremy gave a deep, almost painful sigh. “They were discussing that when I went over to see Cullen. I think the withdrawal is making him… unsure of himself and his own judgement. Cassandra said he was doing fine.”

“But there’s something more,” Dorian said, plucking the goblet from Jeremy’s hand and placing it and his own on the ramparts. He pulled Jeremy closer and the mage came into his embrace willingly. “Because that doesn’t sound like something that would put you in a foul mood.”

“After Cassandra left, Cullen… Cullen asked me if he should start taking lyrium again,” Jeremy said quietly. “If it would be better for the Inquisition if he did.”

Dorian was a bit startled. Obviously Cullen _was_ feeling unsure of his own judgement if he would ask that question of Jeremy.

“And what did you say?”

Jeremy stiffened in his embrace and looked up, an outraged expression on his face. “What do think I said? _No_ , of course! This is… not the first time Cullen and I have spoken of this. He… told me a while back about what he was doing. This is _important_ to him. Getting off the lyrium, breaking free of the Templars and the Chantry’s leash.”

Dorian ran a hand down Jeremy’s back. “Hush now. Of course I expected that you said no. What I don’t understand is why you’re so cross about it. You said yourself that the withdrawal was making Cullen unsure of his own judgement. Why is it unusual that he might seek reassurance from you that he’s doing the right thing?”

“I know! I know!” Jeremy let his head drop so that his forehead was resting on Dorian’s shoulder. When he spoke again, his voice was a little muffled. “I’m not angry that he asked me that, I’m just…”

Dorian snuck a hand under Jeremy’s chin and raised it. “Now, I’m going to do something terribly against the grain and it’s going to give me hives so I do expect some suitable pampering for this later.” He paused for effect and was pleased to see that little smile again. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in that inquisitorial mind of yours before you decide to trigger another avalanche on us.”

Jeremy laughed softly. “Faker,” he said fondly. “Pretending you don’t care.”

“Shush,” Dorian said with a smile. “Don’t ruin my reputation. Now, come on, before I think better of it.”

Jeremy sighed. “Do you know what happened in the Fereldan Circle, at Kinloch, when Cullen was a Templar there?”

“Not really,” Dorian said. “Only that there was trouble and it fell.”

“I didn’t either.” Jeremy grimaced. “I mean, I heard all sorts of rumours but it was over ten years ago and I was an apprentice then. They didn’t tell apprentices about that sort of thing. Didn’t want it scaring us. Or giving us ideas.” He rolled his eyes. “But when we got here, I sent a message to a friend of mine from the Ostwick Circle and asked for more information about what had happened in the Fereldan Circle and specifically about Cullen, if he could find anything. I… didn’t want to press Cullen about it. He doesn’t want to talk about it and I understand why now.”

“You got an answer, obviously.”

Jeremy nodded. “Of the Templars who were trapped inside the tower when Uldred went mad, only Cullen walked out of there alive, sane… relatively speaking… and not possessed. He’d been a prisoner for weeks before the Hero of Fereldan came to the Circle and sorted things out. The demons had tormented him. _Tortured_ him. Tempted him. He’d resisted everything they’d thrown at him.”

“A very strong-willed man,” Dorian said. “I admire that.”

Jeremy nodded. “Me too. Then they sent him to Kirkwall.” He snorted and shook his head. “I’m not sure whose idiot decision that was. Mages went mad there, turned to blood magic, became abominations. Then Knight-Commander Meredith went mad and the Chantry was blown up by a mage. Or rather, the other way round but you know what I mean.”

Dorian frowned. “I’m still not seeing the reason for your mood.”

Jeremy sighed. “There’s not… I mean…” He sighed again and his anger just drained out of him. “It’s not really anything rational. But… after everything he’s gone through, seeing the absolute worst of mages twice over, and he still asks _me_ to make that kind of decision for him? How can he trust me that much, Dorian?”

“You are a rather trustworthy sort of person,” Dorian said lightly but when he saw the look Jeremy directed at him, he relented and sobered. “He trusts you because you have _earned_ that trust.”

“I just…”

“Never expected to face that when you got out of bed this morning?”

Jeremy laughed. “Something like that.”

“I like Cullen,” Dorian said, reverting to a little more seriousness for a moment. “He’s a good man, an intelligent one, a wicked chess player and he has the most devastatingly low-key sense of humour.” He smiled wickedly. “Lucky for you he likes women or you’d have had some stiff competition.”

“You mean _you’d_ have had some stiff competition,” Jeremy said with a grin. “I met him long before I met you.”

“Good point.” Dorian pretended to look horrified. “I fear I might have lost that competition, though I’d have put up a good fight.”

Jeremy laughed and relaxed against him and Dorian counted that as a definite win.

“I don’t know,” Jeremy said. “You might still have won.”

“Good to hear.”

Jeremy’s smile turned a little wicked and Dorian’s eyebrow went up.

“I believe I owe you a little something for making you be all serious and supportive,” Jeremy said.

“Oh, you definitely do.” Dorian gave him a lascivious smile. He suspected this discussion wasn’t entirely over but he was willing to let Jeremy change the subject for now, especially given the direction of the change. “And look, conveniently we’re right near your _very_ comfortable bed.”

Jeremy laughed. “Why, so we are. We should make use of that.”

“Excellent idea.”


End file.
